Engine mounting



Feb-16,1937.

s. s. RATHBUN ENGINE MOUNTING Filed Oct. 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L H mu Mr T E I. 1 n 7 W W. M I u v x E u z a 1... 5 a 7 m e u w 5 m H a I Q 6 86B 5 v. 2 ufi a. if. a w 4 .04.. 6 4/ a 6 a K W m r l 5 v q 4 0 4 4 M" M L. A... h A

S. S. RATHBUN ENGINE MOUNTING Feb. 16, 1937.

I Filed Oct. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-6- FTC-a7- Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE MOUNTING Application October 3,

1'7 Claims.

The chief object of my invention is to provide a means of amplifying the torque of a motor (by means of a torque amplifier of any present-day or other effective construction) and to provide a means of transmitting the backward torque reactions of the amplifier and of the motor to members independent of the motor and amplifier, so that there is no backward reaction on the framework or supports of either the motor or the amplifier. The most obvious application of my invention is to motor vehicles, in which the motor is not supported directly by the wheels, which rest on the road, but is supported from the main body of the vehicle, which is in turn supported on springs. It is evident that any variable reaction on a spring support of this type will cause vibration of the springs. Probably the best known case of this kind is a passenger automobile with a four-cylinder gasoline engine. The vibration caused by the engine is the chief reason for this type of car being less popular than formerly. If an impulse-type torque amplifier is used and the backward impulses act directly on the body of the car, the vibration of the body is greatly augmented.

In my invention, the variable backward torque reaction of the engine body, as Well as the backward torque reaction of the torque amplifier, do not act on the spring-supported body but act through suitable mediums on the axles of the Wheels without causing deflection or vibration of the springs.

A further object of my invention is to provide reversible ratchets (suitably operated) by means of which the forward impulses of the impulse-type torque amplifier may be made to act on the axles without causing deflection of the springs, and the backward impulses may be made to act to drive thecar backward.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means of preventing a variable speed of rotation of a motor shaft driving an impulsetype torque amplifier, when the amplifier is not operating as an amplifier, i. e., when the drive is direct. This variable speed is really an oscillation or vibration of the crank shaft superimposedon the approximately constant speed of the car, and increases the vibration of the car body. This tendency exists in impulse-type torque amplifier, Whether the centrifugal forces of weights are used (as in this invention) or resilient forces, or a combination of centrifugal and resilient forces are used, as in one of my 1931, Serial No. 566,643

previous inventions (patent application Serial No. 441,271).

A still further object of my invention is to make available free-Wheeling in a car equipped with an impulse-type torque amplifier and to provide a means of looking out the free-wheeling feature so that the braking effect of the motor may be used in descending steep grades.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means of absorbing, in a resilient member, some of the energy of each backward impulse of an impulse-type amplifier, and means whereby this energy is given back to the drive shaft as a forward impulse.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of mounting means which will permit freedom of rocking movement of the engine unit relative to the frame structure, which object is accomplished by mounting the front of the engine unit in a pivot on a floating pedestal,

' the pedestal in turn being mounted by nonmetallic resilient means on the frame, while the rear of the engine unit is mounted on the frame by means of spaced mountings permitting rocking of the engine unit about an axis located approximately at the geometrical center of said rear mountings.

I attain these objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the main parts of the mechanism; Fig. 2 is a part plan, with the casing removed, showing the means of operating the reversible ratchets; Fig. 3 is an elevation, with cover plate removed, of one of the reversible ratchet-s; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the weights which are used (inside of the fiy-wheel of the motor) to exert centrifugal forces on the eccentrics on which they rotate; Fig. 5 is a side View of an engine equipped with my invention; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the front support of an engine equipped with my device; Fig. 7 is a view, with cover plate removed, of an optional addition to the device; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of said addition on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a plan view of the parts at the upper left hand corner of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The casing l is fixed to the engine 2, having a crank shaft 3, on which is keyed the fly-Wheel 4, shown in three parts, to be held together by tap screws (not shown). The intermediate shaft 5 is supported by the two fly-wheel bearings and at the other end by the bearing in member 6. The driven shaft 1 is supported by wide bearing and the other end is used when the ratchet is 8 and drives the propeller shaft 9 through universal joint it. The propeller shaft is supported in a housing I i, the other end of which is attached to'the axle housing (not shown), or, in the case of a vehicle having a truck at the rear, to the truck. The following description is based on the well-known construction used on the great majority of cars in which the. propeller housin is attached to the axle housing of the rear wheels.

On the intermediate shaft 5 are assembled the main parts of the impulse-type torque amplifier. Within the fly-wheel 4 and keyed on the shaft 5 are the eccentrics G2, on which revolve the weights I3. These weights is are caused to rotate by the fly-wheel t acting through'links M, which are attached by pins to the weights 5% and lugs l5 on the fly-wheel 4. Next to the left'on shaft 5 is keyed drum it which is part of a roller ratch et assembly, the rollers ll of which act between" l9 which are thecentral members of the refor reversing the ratchets.

versible ratchet assemblies. In each of these ratchets are double curved wedges 25. The outer surface of each of these wedges is formed by two portions of a cylindrical surface which is of the same radiusas the inner surface of the outer ratchet member 2i. Each half of'the outer surface of each of the wedgesffi has a center of curvature slightly displaced from the other half so that when it is moved inone direction relative to member if), it comes into perfect contact with member 25 on one-half of its outward surface, and when it is moved in the other direction the other half comes into contact. Thus, one end is used to make the ratchet act in one direction reversed. Reversal is accomplished when theparts 22 are moved so that pressure is exerted through springs 23 to bring the other halves of the outer surfaces of the wedges into contact with member 25. The hand levers 24 are used They are pivoted toa bracket 25 on the body of the car 25, and

have forks 27 at their lower ends connected by links 28 to pins on opposite sides of flat rings 29 which fit in grooves on plates 36. Plates so have projections 31 with threaded holes into which threaded rods 32 fit. Rods 32 are secured to cranks 33, so that when the plates 35 are moved axially the rods 32 with cranks 33 are rotated, causing the parts 22 to move from one side of the seats provided for them to the other side, and thus reverse the action of the ratchets. Rings 34 are attached to members-2i and 5 respectively, and are for the purpose of holding the wedges 26 and other parts in position. Rings 35 are attached to elliptical parts 59 to hold cranks 33 in place.

Resilient member 33 is secured at one end to outer ratchet member 2| and at the other end to cylindrical member 3?, which has fingers 38 projecting into slots in the spherical end of the propeller shaft housing I I, so that any movement of the housing H about its axis is transmitted to sleeve 31. The end plate 39 is separate from sleeve 31 and is made in two parts for assembly purposes. It is evident that the construction at the end of the propeller shaft housing H pro vides in effect a universal joint between it and cylindrical member Bl. Bracket All on end plate 39 supports one end of theengine and is attach'ed to a cup-shaped member l l, which holds a non-metallic resilient (vibration absorbing) member 32, which in turn rests on the flat surface of a part of the frame 43. Lug 44 on end plate 39 is surrounded by a non-metallic resilient member 45, which is held by a cup-shaped piece it, supported by the body frame 43. The resilient members 42 and 45 and associated parts are so designed that any twisting of the propeller housing relative to the body will cause no movement of the position of the center of the spherical head of the housing. The main casing I is free to rotate on sleeve 31, except forthe restraint of resilient members 41, which are held the main casing. It is obvious that the resilient 'members s2 and d5 tend to hold the rear axle parallel to the body; or in other words, they ap-' proximately maintain the axle in its desired position relative to the body of the vehicle. This between lug 58 on sleeve 37 and two lugs 59 on 1 prevents excessive sidesway when rounding a The optional addition shown in Figs? and 8 constitutes, with the mechanism above-described,

an alternate design, in which the vibration ab- The mechanism operates as follows: Consider the car held stationary and the engine running.

The Weights l3, rotating through one-half of a' revolution, exert a forward impulse on the intermediate shaft, through the eccentrics l2. The shaft 5 cannot move forward if the car is held For example, since this stationary since the ratchet acting on outer" ratchet member 6 prevents forward motion. During the next half revolution, the weights. I3

exert a backward impulse which causes a back- Ward rotation of the intermediate shaft 5, since 0 proper design, the total forward torque exerted on the shaft 5 by the Weights l3 and resilient member 36, may be several times the full load torque of the engine.

Consider now that the car is allowed to move (by releasing the brakes or otherwise). The spring 35will give up some of the energy stored in it each time after being distorted, and ifthe engine speed remains constant, the forward impulsesare of longer duration since the speed of the engine relative to shaft 5 becomes less as the speed of shaft 5 increases. During the backward impulse, the driven shaft 1 runs ahead of the intermediate shaft '5. Eventually the for- .60 35 exerts a forward torque on the shaft 5. By

ward impulses become so long (the speed of the car having increased suificiently) that the engine speed decreases during the forward impulse to be equal that of the driven shaft 1, and direct drive occurs.

It is evident that the backward impulses cannot cause vibration of the car body since they do not react on the body but on the propeller shaft housing II. The resilient members 41 are provided to take up any sudden twisting. of the propeller housing. If, for example, one rear wheel rises suddenly in passing over an obstruction, the propeller housing is suddenly twisted, and if there were a rigid connection in place of the resilient members 41, the inertia of the engine would cause considerable stress in the propeller housing and elsewhere. Some of the forces, due to a sudden twisting of the propeller housing, pass through the resilient members 41 to the engine body; but, since the engine is supported at only two points and in such a manner as to allow it to turn about an axis passing approximately through the driven shaft and through axle 52!, the energy which is not absorbed by the resilient members 4'! is absorbed by the inertia of the engine body and is not transmitted to the car body. It is evident that with the construction shown that the axle 58 can move from side to side due to the resilient (or vibration-absorbing) members 54. This is to make it possible for the engine to oscillate (at this end at least) about its natural axis of oscillation designated .'L':r in Fig. 5. As the position of this axis varies with the pressures in the cylinders and the positions of the pistons, etc., it is desirable not to have the position of the axis of oscillation fixed at the axle E].'

The engine will oscillate due to the variable torque exerted on it by the pistons and crankshaft. However, with this construction it would be possible, so far as the engine is concerned, to allow this torque to be transmitted to the propeller housing with a rigid connection in place of the resilient members 41, and still prevent any vibration of the car body from this source. This fact is mentioned to show that the oscillation of the engine, due to the reaction of the variable power torque, is incidental and is due to the resilient members 41, which are incorporated for another purpose. With this design, it is not necessary to allow the engine to oscillate through nearly as large an angle as is necessary with the so-called floating power design.

If the optional addition to the above design, as shown in Figs. '7 and 8, is used, the action is as follows: The compression in resilient members 51 is such that the friction between the block 58 and the flange of member 31 is sufficient to prevent motion of the friction surfaces relative to each other, except when there is a sudden twisting of the propeller shaft housing I I due to an unusual sudden rise of a rear wheel. When this sudden twisting occurs, the friction surfaces slide on each other, and the deflection of the resilient members 41 becomes either more or less than before, depending on which rear wheel is raised. The design is such that more than one-half maximum possible torque reaction of the engine is taken by the friction of block 58, and the remainder is taken by the resilient members 41 which are capable of taking considerably more than one-half of the maximum possible torque reaction before reaching their maximum deflection. Thus, the oscillation of the engine, due to the variable torque reaction, may be completely eliminated with this design. To reduce bearing pressures, two friction devices and two resilient devices may be used, one member of each pair being diametrically opposite the other on the casing l. Obviously, such suggested employment of resilient and/or frictional devices in pairs along the vertical center plane of the housing may be changed to an arrangement, wherein the devices are disposed symmetrically in a horizontal plane. In doing so, the brackets, corresponding to those marked 40 and 44 of theone mounting pair, and the abutments corresponding to lugs-Q8 and 49 of the other mounting pair, may be extended sidewisely from the housing, so as to facilitate easier connections with existing vehicle frames. All of these extensions may receive forms similar to that of bracket 44, but made slightly longer, so as toproject beyond the housing.

The scope of this inventionis intended to cover a rigid connection in place of resilient members 41, as well as the constructions shown; it 193.150

intended to cover a rigid connection between members 2! and 37, as well as the construction shown. It isalso intended to cover the case of the usual gear box, or transmission, substituted for the impulse-type torque amplifier.

As previously stated, reversing both ratchets will cause the car to move backwards. If, however, only the ratchet inside of member 6 is reversed, it will not be possible for the driven shaft 1 to run ahead of the intermediate shaft and hence ahead of the engine, as it does normally (i. e., it normally free wheels). With this ratchet reversed, shaft i will drive shaft 5, and since mem-' her it and associated parts prevent shaft 5 from running ahead of the fly-wheel, this is the condition necessary for .braking on the motor.

When in direct drive, the weights l3 take a more or less definite position relative to the eccentrics l2, and drive by centrifugal force.- However, since the engine torque is not constant, there would be a tendency for the position of the weights is to oscillate relative to eccentrics l2, were it not for the ratchet on member Hi. This ratchet holds the fly-wheel 4 and hence the weights 13 in the most advanced position which they take so that no oscillation is possible.

Attention is again called to the manner of suspending and supporting the engine and power transmitting mechanism. ing the front end of the engine is provided with a bearing, and its base is supported by two resilient cushions. The construction of the standard facilitates a peculiar suspension of the. engine, in that the latter is permitted to not only oscillate about the axis of the standard bearing, but it may swing bodily (with said bearing and the standard) transversely to the vertical centre plane passing through the bearing axis of the standard. Of course, such side swing is restricted by the resilient supports of the base of the standard.

While I have shown and described a specific form of a power transmitting mechanism, adapted to convey the power of the engine to the propeller shaft, be it particularly understood that, as said previously, any other suitable power transmission device may be employed in connection with the power plant, provided that the suspension or supporting arrangements of the engine and the transmission mechanism is such as to assure the absorption of the-torque reactions of the engine by the propeller shaft housing, or directly by the rear axle housing, when used in a motorized vehicle, so that all of these reactions will never affect or be transmitted to the frame struc- The standard, suppor casing, (or other means of transmitting the torque reaction to'the axle, or axles, of wheels resting on theground), as the casefmay be, to swing, ro-

tate or oscillate relative to said transmission mechanism, within certain resiliently restrained limits, such movementsbeing governed by the construction and arrangement of restraining devices, the principles of which are suggested in Figures '7, 8 and 9. They may be arranged either in diametrically opposite pairs, or in larger numbers, but I prefer to place them symmetrically to the vertical center plane and at'both sides of i the transmission mechanism. b Itshould be understood that this invention may I find utilization with other structures than auto- It is to be distinctly understood that while I have described and illustrated several forms of my invention, various changes and modifications may still be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: V 1. The combination with the frame work of a powered mechanism, of an engine unit, composed of a power plant and a power transmission, suspensionmeans for said engine .unit, associated with said frame work, composed of power plant and transmission supports, the former support providedwith' bearing provisions so designed as to permit saidpower plant to both oscillate about the centerv axis of said bearing provisions, and to swing'bodily, together with the latter, in transverse direction to the vertical centre plane of said engine unit, said transmission support comprising resilient weight supporting means, and means fortransferring substantially .the entire 'torque reaction of the engine unit to the ground,

without affecting the frame work supporting the engine unit.

2. In suspension means for an engine unit in a powered device; such engine unit composed of a power plant and a power transmission; a frame work forming a part of suchpowered device, a power plant support comprising a standardprovidedwith an engine unit supporting bearing and a base,

, the latter associated with, but cushioned from'the frame work of said powered device, a transmission prising apower plant and a power transmission, of a toroue reaction transferring device, designed 'for transmitting engine torque reactions directly to wheels resting on the ground comprising a pair of resilient means, and a pair of frictionally re 4. The combination withan engine unit com straining, means, each extending symmetrically sidewise from, and interposed between said engine unit and said wheels, in' the manner and for the purpose described.

5. The combination with an engine unit comprising a power plant and a power transmission,

of a torque reaction transferring device, designed.

for transmitting enginetorque reactions directly to wheels resting on the ground comprising a plurality of, symmetrically arranged; resilient means and a plurality of symmetrically arranged frictional .means interposed between said engine unit and'saidwheels in the'manner and for the purpose described.

6. The combination withthe framework, wheels and axles, of a powered mechanism of an engine u unit, composed of a power plant and a transmission, suspensionmeans for saidengine unit associated with said frame work and composed of a support at each end of the engine unit each provided with a bearing and so designed as; to permit said engine unitto oscillate about the center axis of said bearings, said supports com-' prising resilient weight supporting means, resilient a means and frictional means for transferring the torque reaction of theengine unit to an axle of the wheels supporting the vehicle. I

7. In a motor vehicle, a framework, wheels and axles, an engine unit composed of a power plant and a power transmission, suspension means for said engine unit associated with said framework and composed of bearings in which the engine unit may oscillate, resilient means and frictional means for transmitting the torque reaction of the.

engine unit to the ground through an axle of the wheels supporting the vehicle without affecting the framework.

8. In a motor'vehicle, a framework, wheels and axles, anengine unit composed of a power plant i and a power transmission, resilient supports for said engine unit associated with said framework and composed of bearings in whichthe engine unit may oscillate, resilient means and frictional means for transmitting the torque reaction of i the engine unit to the ground through an axle of the wheels supporting the vehicle without affooting the framework.

9. A mounting for an engine unit comprising a floating pedestal having -a pivotal support for the engineunit, and non-metallic resilient means supporting said floating pedestal permitting freedom of movement of theengine unit in all directions.

10. In a motor vehicle, as set forth in claim '7, holding means for said frictional and said resilient means, for maintaining the axleof the vehicle in its desired position relative to the body of the'vehicle. a

11. In a motor vehicle, as set forth in claim 8, a resilient suspension and supporting means for said resilient and frictional 'means, adapted to approximately maintain the axle of the vehiclein' its desired normal relation to the body of the estal at transversely spaced points permitting freedom of movement of the engine unit in all directions.

14. In a motor vehicle, the combination with.

an engine unit, of a mounting for the rear portion of said engine unit in the vehicle, and a mounting structure for the front portion of said engine unit in the vehicle comprisinga floating pedestal having a movable support for the engine unit thereon spaced at a height above the crankshaft axis and cooperating with the rear mounting to provide for an inclined axis of oscillation for the engine unit and non-metallic resilient means supporting the floating pedestal in the vehicle.

15. A mounting for an engine unit comprising a floating pedestal having a support for a portion of the engine unit permitting relative movement between the pedestal and the engine unit, and non-metallic resilient means supporting said floating pedestal at transversely spaced points permitting freedom of movement of the engine unit in all directions.

16. In a motor vehicle, the combination of an engine unit, and means for mounting the engine unit in the vehicle for oscillatory movement relative thereto, said mounting means comprising a floating pedestal having a support for an end portion of the engine unit permitting relative movement between the engine unit and the pedestal, non-metallic resilient means supporting said floating pedestal in the vehicle at transversely spaced points permitting freedom of movement of the engine unit in all directions, and means mounting the opposite end portion of the engine unit in the vehicle and accommodating for movements of the engine unit at the pedestal end thereof.

17. In a motor vehicle, the combination of an engine unit, a chassis frame, and means for mounting the engine unit on the frame for oscillatory movement about a longitudinal axis relative thereto, said mounting means comprising a floating pedestal having a movable support for an end portion of the engine unit at said axis of oscillation, non-metallic resilient means supportingsaid floating pedestal on the frame at transversely spaced points permitting freedom of movement of the engine unit in all directions, and means mounting the opposite end portion of the engine unit on the frame and accommodating for movements of the engine unit and pedestal at the first-mentioned end.

SHERRILL S. RATHBUN. 

